STATEMENT OF WORK / TERMS OF REFERENCE:

Title: Data collection firm/Individual to assess how tourism can substantially contribute to the economic development of key coastal and fishing communities in Sri Lanka. It will explore the synergies between the tourism and fisheries sectors and identify how both can jointly support sustainable and inclusive growth. Findings will inform the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) on policy and investment options to enhance the contribution of fisheries and tourism to economic development.

Location: Sri Lanka

Due date: November 28, 2025

Background

Tourism in Sri Lanka has emerged as a significant source of income and employment, with strong potential to generate economic benefits for local communities. By stimulating investment and creating demand for local goods and services, tourism can become a powerful driver of inclusive growth.

Fish is a key source of protein in Sri Lanka, yet many fishing communities remain economically vulnerable. Strengthening their linkages with tourism—through improved access to markets, reduced post-harvest losses, and integration into tourism-related value chains—offers an opportunity to enhance incomes, promote sustainable resource use, and diversify livelihoods.

This study aims to assess how tourism can substantially contribute to the economic development of key coastal and fishing communities in Sri Lanka. It will explore the synergies between the tourism and fisheries sectors and identify how both can jointly support sustainable and inclusive growth. Findings will inform the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) on policy and investment options to enhance the contribution of fisheries and tourism to economic development.

This study forms part of a broader analytical series that seeks to:

i) leverage tourism to build the resilience of livelihoods, assets, and infrastructure;

ii) strengthen fisher livelihoods and the fish value chain through strategic linkages with tourism.

1. OVERALL APPROACH

Survey areas

A.2. Selected AreasBased on the following selection criteria, 3 landscapes (CLs) have been proposed for the suggested analysis.

• Patterns of overuse (fishing, agriculture, tourism) – natural capital degradation.

• Potential for future development (aquaculture, tourism) – green growth and job creation trajectory.

• Availability of data and studies – historical trends of degradation and improvement.

a) Guru Nagar (sample of 170)

b) Jaffna Fort (sample of 100)

c) Panama-Arugam Bay (sample of 20 hotels)

Survey delivery

A.3.3. Sample frames

The firm/individual will be responsible for collecting data from the appropriate source of sample frames: the list of tourists types, lodges, restaurants, agricultural producers, non-agricultural producers (tourist services) and other non-agricultural producers (retailers, other services, non-service businesses), resource extraction producers (e.g., fishers), lists containing poor and non-poor households from which the sample is to be extracted.

The sampling exercise consists of the actual selection of these groups and surveying them either individually or in focus groups. This will be carried out by the firm under the supervision of IFPRI.

A.3.4. Sample size

The number of tourists, lodges, restaurants, agricultural and non-agricultural tourism, non-agricultural producers, resource extraction producers, poor and non-poor households and the CLs are as follows:

Survey content

There are 10 separate surveys designed for each different group. Each survey should take no longer than 20 minutes. The questions mainly ask about the percentage of expenditure they either spent or earned from tourist activities.

2. SPECIFIC TASKS

Deliverables:

The individual/survey company is responsible for:

• Enumerator recruiting
• Obtaining the sample frames from the legitimate holders and for conducting the actual selection of businesses or households or villages from the sample frame (when possible), under the supervision of, and in collaboration with IFPRI.
• Organizing enumerator training (2 days)
• Pre-test questionnaire (1 day)
• Ensuring that systems are put in place for the appropriate safeguard of the data
• Conducting of surveys according to questionnaires provided, following the suggested sampling method, including providing the necessary working materials (tablets, headsets or other necessary equipment) to the enumerators and including sending the token of appreciation to the respondents
• Quality control, including follow-up visits or phone calls to correct significant errors.
• Delivering a full dataset and survey report

Key deliverables

The individual/ Project Manager of the firm will have the overall responsibility for the quality and timely submission of all deliverables, as specified below:

· Inception report, finalized Field Procedure Plan and Data management Plan

· A complete and clean dataset

· Final Data Delivery report (a brief technical report of the survey implementation)

Personnel requirements

The personnel requirements for this project include:

• Core Team: The Contractor must provide at least the following staff with the qualifications specified:

- Project Manager

- Field/Data Manager

• Field Team: Although the Contractor will determine the number of field teams in consultation with the Team Lead, each field team should be comprised of at least:

- One Field Supervisor

- One Field Technician for the electronic devices

- Enumerators

The Contractor should ensure that the required personnel possess the following requirements:

• Project Manager: will coordinate the team and will be responsible for the contract’s deliverables. He or She should have the following skills and expertise:

  • At least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as economics, statistics, social policy, sociology, development studies, agronomy, or other relevant subjects;

  • At least three projects (surveys and/or impact evaluations) as lead manager carried out in the past 5 years;

  • Sound knowledge of Sri Lanka’s rural economy

• Field Manager/Data Manager

  • At least a bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, social policy, sociology, development studies, agronomy, or other relevant subjects;

  • Previous experience in primary surveys;

  • Proven knowledge and experience with statistical software (CS-Pro, SPSS, Stata, Open Data Kit)

• Enumerators

  • At least high-school diploma

  • Proven knowledge and experience of surveying techniques, for both individual and group interviews

  • Knowledge of local languages in the study’s geographical area

  • Some enumerators are required to know English to enumerate the tourists

3. TIMEFRAME

All of the deliverables should be completed by December 15, 2025.

4. SELECTION CRITERIA

The application should include information on key criteria for selection, including:

1. The individual or survey firm’s organization, an history conducting household surveys in Sri Lanka
2. List of key management (including CVs) and research personnel
3. Proposed implementation plan
4. Proposed timeline of key events (i.e., enumerator training, data collection start date, data collection end date, delivery of dataset and survey report)
5. Indicative budget (Details below)

5. REQUIREMENTS

· Technical proposal

· Financial proposal

· CV of authorized individuals

**This requisition is only to firms. Interested firms must submit/upload a cost-proposal with the application. **

**We are unable to respond to every applicant individually; only selected applicants will be contacted. **